Horizontally-split attachment for removable dental bridgework



J. YIRIKIAN. HORIZONTALLY SPLIT ATTACHMENT FOR REMOVABLE DENTAL BRIDGEWORK. APPLICATION FILED MAR- 2,1921.

1,3945770. Patented Oct. 25,1921

INVENTOR.

QM, Q/Zfw/M ZZIJSATTQRNEYS STATES JOHN 'YIRIKIAN', OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

meagre.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

. Application filed March 2, 1921. Serial No. 449,026.

To (M w hom it may concern Be it known that I, J oHN YInI IAN, a citizen of the United States, resld-ing at New York, in the county of New York and Stateof New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Horizontally-Split Attachment for Removable Dental Bridgework, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved horizontally split attachment for removable dental bridge work and has for its object to fasten a removable dental bridge securely in the mouth by frictional engagement with an anchoring abutment or abutments.

A further object of my invention is to provide an attachment in which the frictional engagement with the anchoring abutment may be increased or decreased readlly and without the use of tools.

Other and further objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings inwhich- Figures 1 and l 'illustrate in perspective the improved horizontally split attachment;

Figs. 2 and 2 the split tubes in which the anchoring members of the attachments are adapted to fit;

Figs. 3 and 3 the inlays for the abutment members in which the split tubes are secured;

Figs. 4 and 4 a molar and a bicuspid, respectively, prepared to serve as anchoring abutments and showing inlays, split tubes, and attachments in place;

Fig. 5 an artificial bicuspid and molar adapted to replace corresponding natural teeth;

Fig. 6 a bridge on which the artificial teeth of Fig. 5 are adapted to be mounted and provided with the improved horizontally split attachments;

Fig. 7 a portion of the jaw with missing teeth and with the abutment teeth prepared to receive the removable bridge work;

Fig. 8 the portion of the jaw illustrated in Fig. 7 with the removable bridge work in place;

Fi 9 illustrative embodiments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,2, and 8 of forms of attachments; and

Fig. 10 an enlarged view of an attachment showing one manner in which the anchoring member thereof may be split.

It is the practice in high-class mechanical dentistry to secure to natural teeth by frictionally engaging attachments a removable bridge carrying one or more artificial teeth. One form of such attachments is shown in my Patent No. 1,218,033, granted March 6, 1917, for cone shaped removable bridge split attachment. This old form of attachment, however, is in two pieces and has the disadvantages incident to such structures. In the present invention, the supporting member secured to the bridge is solid and although the anchoring member is split it is secured to or made integral with the supporting member so that the attachment has the advantages of a unitary structure. There thus is no danger of solder or of gold entering the split while the bridge is being made, and at the same time an adjustable frictional contact with the anchoring socket can be obtained.

' In the drawings, reference character 1 indicates the supporting member of the attachment to which is secured or made integral therewith the anchoring member 2 provided with a split 3 which preferably extends substantially horizontally of the anchoring member. This substantially horizontal split may be at the back of anchoring member 2 as indicated in Fig. 10 of the drawings or at the side and extending into either or both supporting member 1 and anchoring member 2. As the split is opened, the upper and lower part of the member will be distorted from substantially vertical cylindrical form thus forming points of frictional contact with split tube 6 in socket 5 of the inlay, the degree of contact of which may be varied as desired. It is not necessary to have a tool of any kind to open or close the split as this may be accomplished by holding the member on one side of the split and pressing the member on the other side of the split against an unyielding surface.

Inlay 4: is secured in abutments 7, which usually are natural teeth, in any desired manner.

The sup orting members 1 of the attachments pre erably are secured to the support or bridge 8 on which is mounted the artificial teeth 9. 1

It is obvious that one or more artificial teeth may be secured in this manner and that the attachments may be of any desired form or shape both as to the supporting members and the anchoring members. Illustrative forms and shapes, which are not, however, intended to include all possible forms and shapes, are shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings.

Many modifications of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing therefrom or from the scope of the claims, my invention not being limited to the particular embodiment chosen for purposes of illustration, but comprising an improved horizontally split attachment for removable bridge work adapted to hold the bridge firmly in place by adjustable frictional engagement with an abutment or abutments.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

. 1. An attachment for removable bridge work comprising a solid supporting member having a substantially vertical portion, and asubstantially vertical anchoring member secured to said vertical portion of-the supporting member and adapted to fit within an inlay of an anchoring abutment, said anchoring member being provided with a substantially horizontal split extending through said anchoring member whereby it is adapted to engage the inlay in which it is adapted to fit with an adjustable frictional engagement.

Work comprising a supporting member, and

an anchoring member secured to said supporting member and split in a substantially horizontal plane.

4:. A removable bridge attachment comprising an inlay with a vertical recess and a supporting member of two vertical parallel parts one of which is split horizontally and the" other of which is bent at a right angle to be secured to the bridge.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand'this 23rd day of February, 1921.

JOHN YIRIKIAN. 

